What do you get by combining a 12-hour adventure race with a marathon (26.2 miles) over the course of two days? I’m not sure, but this weekend I’m going to find out.

THE 12-HOUR PART: This afternoon I’m heading to North Dakota to race in the state’s first-ever adventure race, the 12-hour Extreme North Dakota Adventure Race, or END-AR. http://web.mac.com/Yogaslackers/iweb/end-ar/Welcome.html

THE 26.2-MILE PART: Then, on Sunday morning, I’ll toe the line at the Twin Cities Marathon to run 26.2 miles through my home town of Minneapolis. http://www.mtcmarathon.org

My goals? I want to do well in the adventure race, and then just live through the marathon. If I get anything under a 4-hour, 30-minute time on Sunday I’ll be happy. (I usually run about 3:45 marathons.)

I’m not much of a quitter, but there’s a chance I won’t complete the marathon course. (Broken knees comes to mind.) Just depends how rough the 12-hour Extreme North Dakota Adventure Race ends up being.

An adventure race in North Dakota, you say? That’s right, and it’s the state’s first ever. (It’s an event being put together by my Great Plains yoga buddies, Jason Magnus and Sam Salwei of YogaSlackers.com fame.)

The race will include trekking, trail running, mountain biking, canoeing, orienteering and “mystery challenges.” Teams of two or three will have up to 12 hours to finish the 75-mile course.

About the terrain, the race directors say: “The course will highlight some of the most beautiful areas in Grand Forks County. Elevation gain is minimal, but this will increase the navigational challenge.”

In total, the race will include:
>trail running/trekking (5-8 miles)
>mountain biking (40-50 miles)
>canoeing (8 miles)
>orienteering (throughout the entire course)

Then it’s on to 26.2 miles of road running on Sunday. . .

If I live through all this, watch for the update next week. . .